2016-2017 Ladies Power Rankings | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2016-2017 Ladies Power Rankings

Imagine

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
01. Evgenia Medvedeva ( Reigning World, Russian National, and European Champion): Unless she is suddenly met with dramatic puberty-related issues or significant injury, I predict she will have a long reign as Queen. Despite whatever image haters want to impose on her, she is artistically and technically superior to most of the current field minus Mao, and her consistency is just...what is there to say? I don't know if she will be able to correct her Lutz (which is maybe her one weakness), but at this point, does she really need to? Still, as we all know, anything can happen. Before Evgenia, Liza looked to be unbeatable...and before her there was Yulia. However, I believe in Evgenia's abilities and I feel that she is the Russian teen destined to break the cycle.

02. Asada Mao (3-time World Champion, 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist, 6-time Japanese National Champion): I don't think what we saw last season was a completely returned Mao. She took a long break and no matter how hard she may have worked afterwards, it just wasn't enough to get back to her full competitive form. I believe enough time has passed now for her to have worked off the rust and to make a true comeback to reclaim her crown. I still think she has the highest scoring potential of the field, regardless of Evgenia's backloading...she will get the PCS easily if she performs. Her consistency will still be an issue though, as she depends on the 3A a lot.

03. Anna Pogorilaya ( Reigning World, Russian National, and European Bronze Medalist): In my eyes, Anna was the true silver medalist at the last Worlds (and she is WITHOUT A DOUBT the real 2014 Worlds bronze medalist) but I understand that it was a home competition and these things happen. I don't mean to take away from Ashley's great showing but Anna had a flawless Worlds, lets be honest. Her main weakness is her consistency, and I think that's what hurt her in the eyes of the judges at Worlds. Unlike most of the other ladies though, she doesn't simply make mistakes. She completely melts down. If she can overcome this tendency (and I am not all that confident she will), she will be a lock for the podium and a top contender for the championship.

04. Maria Sotskova (Reigning World Junior Silver Medalist): Every year, we get a new Russian prodigy fresh out of juniors and this year, it's Maria's turn. Like Evgenia before her, I feel like Maria will be able to make a successful transition up to the senior ranks. Even amongst the recent junior phenoms, she stood out as very sophisticated and mature. Barring injury or a sneaky bout of puberty-related issues, she should do very well. I think the only weakness she has is her newness, and she might get overlooked when up against the more seasoned Russian ladies (if as teenagers, they can even be described as such...)

05. Hongo Rika (2014-2015 Japanese National Silver Medalist): In my opinion, Rika has been consistently underscored. I couldn't tell you why. She hasn't been on the international scene as long as Satoko or Mao, she that's probably part of the reason. Still, the last season hasn't been completely wasted for Rika. Like Satoko and Evgenia, she has proven consistency, and while some of the other ladies have shown improvement in their artistry, Rika's has been growing exponentially (in my honestly biased opinion). I think this next season will be her moment to shine. I don't think she can beat say...Mao, Evgenia, or Gracie if they show up, but she can definitely be in medal contention if the others slip up. With Murakami Kanako drawing seemingly closer to the twilight of her career (no offense, I'm just being realistic), Rika now has a huge opportunity to firmly establish herself as one of the top three Japanese ladies going into Pyeongchang...or end up being overtaken by the looming talent of Honda Marin.

06. Ashley Wagner ( Reigning World Silver Medalist, 3-time US National Champion, 2014 Olympic Bronze Medalist*): She is probably my least favorite American lady, but she has earned all of my respect and then some over the past season. She's "old" (her own words) but she has shown that she can still hang. However, I think her technical as well as artistic potential has been maxed out at this point in time. I do not see a viable path for Ashley to the championship without her competitors making mistakes...which is sort of what happened at the 2016 Worlds. It's arguable if her silver over Anna was deserved, but regardless, she still has the potential to sneak onto the podium when others underwhelm. I wonder how she will deal with the pressure now, going into the season as the undisputed #1 American lady.

07. Miyahara Satoko (Reigning Japanese National Champion, 2015 World Silver Medalist): I'll just be frank in saying, I just don't really enjoy her skating at all. I mean, her style is very...pretty, but everything is so understated yet forced somehow. I know that's sort of the Japanese way...but other delicate/quiet skaters of Japanese skating like Mao and Shizuka (both are amongst my favorites) always make me feel like I am watching a naturally beautiful piece of art whereas with Satoko...I can only appreciate her skill and consistency. She just reads as a bit boring, and I know it's not really a problem with her skating...just a matter of personal taste. Objectively, this girl deserves kudos because she always shows up and her consistency is godly. I think her main weakness is her jumping ability...they are tiny. But, I'm also a believer in the idea that jumping shouldn't be everything in figure skating, and for those who enjoy Satoko's skating...there's obviously a lot to appreciate about her. I think her consistency will always be there...but sooner or later, rising talents like Honda Marin and Hongo Rika will eventually overshadow her.

08. Mirai Nagasu (2-time US National Champion): Even though she sort of flew under the radar, I think Mirai has just had a phenomenal 2015-2016 season. She reestablished herself as a contender even though she was consistently underscored along the way. With Gracie always throwing her opportunities away, its easy to imagine a situation where Mirai makes a comeback amongst the top American ladies. I personally think Mirai is a bit of a late bloomer, and if she smartly recognizes that, she can peak in time for another Olympic run. Her skating has become so beautiful since 2010, and all she needs now is to fix some nagging technical glitches with the jumps and rebuild her confidence.

09. Polina Edmunds (Reigning US National Silver Medalist): I really like Polina's skating. She jumps big, and her spins are unique. I love the twizzles. However, her free program last season sucked. Sorry if that's rude, but it sucked. It just doesn't fit her at all and it was so awkward...I know there were issues with Polina in previous seasons about being more "mature" but she just completely jumped from one end of the spectrum to another. I believe in Polina's skating, but she needs to find a moment to call Mom into the room, close the door, and make her mom understand why she has to fire her from the choreography/styling team...because I have a feeling that may be the underlying issue here...

10. Elena Radionova (Reigning Russian National Silver Medalist): There were problems with her programs last season...to say the least. I love her personality, but it's time that she hired a professional to pick and edit her competition music for her...or at least persuade her not to pick stutter-y, dialogue-ridden pieces. Also, she visibly struggles with her jumps...and has been struggling with them for a while if you ask me. It just always seems like she's just about to fall but then nope, she survives to jump another pass. While I admire that kind of grit, it's just hard to say that she's consistent in the same way Evgenia and Satoko are consistent...and I think it's only a matter of time before such issues catch up with her. It also can't be pretty in the eyes of the judges, whose ears are already bleeding to her program music. A lot of people complain about the Russian ladies and their incessant "flailing"...and I always think they're just haters or something, but with Elena...it actually bugs me. Like, flailing is the only way to describe her choreography. I feel bad cause I feel like I'm just listing negative aspects of her skating...yet I really, really enjoy watching her (for the most part). It's weird, but I think it's her personality that really makes up her appeal. It's really hard to dislike Elena and I think she just needs polish to get to that next level.

11. Gracie Gold (Reigning US National Champion, 2014 Olympic Bronze Medalist*): At this point, I just don't know what to think about Gracie. She has all the potential to become a champion. She has the big jumps, the spins, the beautiful programs, the it factor...the name. Whatever is holding her back mentally, it seems to be in reaction to the pressure that comes with her immense potential. It's almost a good thing that Ashley ended the medal draught this year because all eyes will be on her instead of Gracie for this upcoming season (and Ashley may be better at dealing with that). She can focus on winning competitions without the constant pressure to be #1 and doing so might rebuild her confidence. Speaking as a big Gracie fan, I honestly don't think she deserves the PCS she has been getting if she's not going to perform...and I think another subpar season will be the last straw for the judges to stop gifting her those points. It's all there...the talent, the potential...but when will she deliver? At this point, I fear the answer is never, but there's always hope.

12. Yulia Lipnitskaya (2014 Olympic* and European Champion): It's been yet another tough season for the original wunder. She's not melting down to the extent of what we saw during 2014-2015, but she still hasn't skated a clean free program since 2014 Worlds. She still has that star quality, but it certainly no longer shines as brightly. Despite what people want to believe, it's obvious that her struggles are mostly mental as she is able to jump cleanly in filmed practices...not that this situation is great either. Sure, there's still time to make the Olympic team...but I fear that another disappointing season will likely be too grave a blow to her confidence to continue on towards that goal. However, there is hope as the change in coaching really seems to have given her a second wind. She seems to be in great shape and we saw at nationals how only 3 months with the new team gave us her best performances since 2014. Her skating has become much more fluid and lyrical, and she has learned to slow everything down (in a good way). She also seems much happier in general with the new environment so I hope these developments continue for Yulia. If she gets her jumps back and to a consistent level (and there are promising signs that this is happening) then she will be right back up there with the other major contenders.

13. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (2015 World and European Champion): I believe we have not seen Liza or her 3A for the last time, but I fear that she may be growing dependent on that axel. It seems to throw her off her game when she fails the opening axel and then she makes mistakes for the rest of the program. I think that, combined with the pressure put on her as the defending world champion really messed her up this past season. Unfortunately, with Mao back in the mix and Evgenia obliterating the competition, she kind of needs that 3A to be competitive moving forward. Liza saw her rise to the top when the field was relatively weak right after the Olympics, but no one should doubt her potential because of it. If she hits all her jumps, she should be able to outscore even Evgenia technically...and I don't believe her artistic development is necessarily over. It's more like it's nonexistent at this point but she may very well be a late bloomer. She is so intriguingly beautiful and has a great personality...she just needs to learn how to capitalize on that when she is skating.

14. Adelina Sotnikova (Reigning Olympic Champion, 4-time Russian National Champion): She's been through a lot since her Sochi triumph, from dealing with psycho netizen to injuries. Like Mao, she's had trouble returning to her previous state after such a long break. I think her artistry has definitely improved since we saw her rise to the Olympic gold thanks to DWTS, but she's still as inconsistent as ever. I don't doubt her technical potential...it's just I never know which Adelina is going to show up. And that's a problem when you have consistency monsters like Evgenia and Satoko to compete with. Unless she improves on that going forward, I don't see her being a factor even domestically with all the Russian talent in the field. We are truly living in crazy times where the reigning Olympic champion can't even make it out of Nationals.

15. Choi Da Bin (Reigning South Korean National Silver Medalist): Seeing as the next Olympics will be in South Korea, it'd be kind of embarrassing if they didn't have a single serious contender in the field. I think they will be seriously working towards creating one and I think Choi Da Bin is that contender. While I don't believe she will be walking away with a medal in Pyeongchang, I do think she has the greatest scoring potential out of all the Korean ladies. Her closest competition, Park, was too prematurely deemed the next Kim Yuna and has now clearly fallen behind. I think Choi is technically better, less stiff, more artistic, and has more beautiful skating in general. I hope she will be the one representing South Korea in 2018, and I think they will really push her because they will want to make a statement (especially with the perceived injustice that occurred at Sochi). Da Bin is realistically, their best shot for a miracle Olympic medal.

*in the Team Event

Wildcards:

Serafima Sakhanovich (2-time Junior World Silver Medalist): One moment she was the closest thing Evgenia had to an actual competitor and the next, she was making it seem like Yulia got off easy with the puberty monster. I doubt her self confidence is intact at this point, but I don't doubt the possibility that she can pick herself up and comeback from all of this.

Li Zijun (4-time Chinese National Champion): I think she's really under-appreciated, so I hope she makes a strong statement this season. She needs to be smarter in choosing programs because she tends lean towards the generics, yet has no Sasha-Cohen-esque star power to sell said generic programs.

Alena Leonova (2012 World Silver Medalist): Yes, she's still around. She's proven that she can still have a good showing, but realistically, she probably peaked years ago. However, there's always the off chance that she's just a late bloomer and will pull a Shizuka on the Russian field. Unlikely...but...it's there.

Carolina Kostner (Reigning Olympic Bronze Medalist, 2012 World Champion, 8-time Italian National Champion): I'm not sure a comeback is a good idea for her though...I'd rather see her make a graceful exit then be Fumied into retirement. She's till got the resume though and if she comes back in good form, she could be an instant podium contender.

Elizabet Tursynbayeva (Reigning Kazakhstani National Champion): I don't know...I think she's highly overrated and hate her floppy skating, but at the same time, I'm not blind and see her immense potential. She just might turn out to be a pleasant surprise.

The Canadians: They are all sort of interchangeable IMO, so I will just say...there's potential there. I'm just not sure if it's strong enough to get Canada into the top 10.
 
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matmuh

what are levels anyway
Record Breaker
Joined
May 2, 2014

Elizabet Tursynbayeva: I don't know...I think she's highly overrated and hate her floppy skating, but at the same time, I'm not blind and see her immense potential. She just might turn out to be a pleasant surprise.


highly overrated?? sometimes i think i talk to myself at her fan fest so i wonder where you got that idea from? (unless you mean my love for her :laugh:) the things people said the most about her were how tiny she is and how awkward she looks with tiny body and mature face, but you are right that she has immense potential not only because of her technical ability, but also i think she is a great competitor and can stay calm and adjust herself during the performance, it makes me happy that some included her in their list:luv17: also i dont thinkg she is more floppy than Rika or Elena :)
 

bosskil

Match Penalty
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
^^ She kinda is, every time she participates in an event, she is being hyped as a podium contender by journalists or fans: "Russian-born, Orser-trained Asian prodigy - look out for her!"
So I do and not much happens - neither I witness anything exquisite in her skating nor she gets those medals...
 
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ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014

05. Hongo Rika (2014-2015 Japanese National Silver Medalist): In my opinion, Rika has been consistently underscored. I couldn't tell you why. She hasn't been on the international scene as long as Satoko or Mao, she that's probably part of the reason. Still, the last season hasn't been completely wasted for Rika. Like Satoko and Evgenia, she has proven consistency, and while some of the other ladies have shown improvement in their artistry, Rika's has been growing exponentially (in my honestly biased opinion). I think this next season will be her moment to shine. I don't think she can beat say...Mao, Evgenia, or Gracie if they show up, but she can definitely be in medal contention if the others slip up. With Murakami Kanako drawing seemingly closer to the twilight of her career (no offense, I'm just being realistic), Rika now has a huge opportunity to firmly establish herself as one of the top three Japanese ladies going into Pyeongchang...or end up being overtaken by the looming talent of Honda Marin.


Have we been watching the same skater? Cup Of China was Rika's only good competition, the rest of them were filled with mistakes and/or not so good performances. In no way she belongs in the same "consistency" category as Evgenia and Satoko.

She hasn't been on the international scene as long as Satoko or Mao, she that's probably part of the reason.
What... Mao has been competing in seniors for 11 seasons and Satoko is just starting her 4th senior season (if you count 2013-2014). Rika has been on the international scene as much as Satoko. She's not a "rising talent" anymore, she's been around for a while. The Japanese junior ladies are packed with looming talent, I wouldn't single Marin Honda out. Wakaba Higuchi is about to join the seniors before her.
 

pETEs (Sasha Fan)

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
OMG! It is incredible to read that in 2016: (1) 2015 World Champ; (2) 2014 Olympic Champ; (3) 2014 World Champ; (4) 2014 Olympic and World Bronze Medalist; (5) 2014 Olympic Team Champ and World Silver Medalist ARE ALL WILDCARDS AND VERY UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED AT THE 2017 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS! OMG! It is like science-fiction. O=
 

MaxSwagg

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Wait, wait, wait. People seriously - SERIOUSLY - still think Sotnikova is coming back?!?! Incredible...
 

Osmiumnitrate

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Seeing how power ranking predictions always yield eye raising and surprising results at the end, I think my predictions will therefore come off as unconventional. Warning: Long text ahead because I can type fast.

#1 Mao Asada.

Evgenia seemed like an obvious choice for #1 seeing how she shattered Yuna's world record (which I still disagree wholeheartedly) with her technical prowess and 'emotional choreography' but I'll say that the technique on her jumps are not textbook perfect as of now. To me, Evgenia reminds me of those wunderkinds that came out of juniors and being able to land jumps with ease even with questionable techniques. (Flutz, toe hammering into a flip jump, unnatural entry into salchows and loops which look very forced)

Yuna survived puberty and remained on the podium between 2007 to 2009 because of her impeccable technique, and I'll draw similarities to that of Elena seeing how Elena seem to have survived puberty without crashing and burning albeit some inconsistencies. What I love about Elena and Liza seem to have the purer techniques into her jumps compared to the rest of the ladies. (No problems with edges for lutz or flip for example).

Therefore (I know this comment is going to come back and haunt me if I'm proven wrong), I believe Evgenia will probably struggle with puberty

I put Mao Asada as the top lady because I believe the previous season was simply a warm up for her coming back from her hiatus. She was underscored for her PCS simply because she couldn't deliver on the technical side, which I think is a huge problem for judging in the ladies field. In the men's field, even if you bombed ur jumps, you can still expect a respectable amount of PCS if you delivered on that aspect. For ladies, it seems like PCS and TES are directly correlated. Asada is somewhat like a highly inconsistent Hanyu (if he is even inconsistent), because nobody can beat a clean Asada with all the goods including a 3A.

#2: Ashley Wagner / Liza (will be explained in #3)

Some say Ashley is gifted the silver at 2016 Worlds because its held in Boston, but its a fact that she delivered. I wanted to put Pogorilaya as #2 at first seeing her surprising performance at Worlds, but Anna's choreography still needed some work compared to that of Wagner who is indisputably second ranked in PCS next to Asada in the presence of proper PCS judging.

I really like how Ashley felt that things with her originally planned program for the upcoming season didn't feel right for her, and she changed it at the last minute. Somehow it tells me that shes really determined to nail the very next season especially after the encouragement at 2016 Worlds.

#3: In order of highest probability- Elena, Yulia, Liza

While Elena doesn't seem to have performed podium-well enough internationally, she seem to be the more consistent skaters next to Evgenia for the last season. Seeing how tall she already is, its safe to assume that she has already passed the test of puberty so she will continue being highly relevant in the deep Russian ladies field. However, Elena really needs to work on her choreography because she seem to be putting junior-level, over emotive choreography in a senior circuit. (One problem I have with most of the Russian ladies). If she works on her PCS well enough, she could break the 70 mark for PCS and thus FINALLY goes over 140 for her FS. (She is a high 130+ FS girl).

Many people have raved about how Yulia seem to have dramatically improved only weeks with her new coach Urmanov, and seeing how Yulia is so much of a fighter I am willing to go with the crowd feeling and put her as contender for #3 next to Elena. Plus she does have better choreography and feel for music than the rest of the Russian ladies. Still needs abit more work on her jumps like the lutz edge but I saw dramatic improvements in her axel technique which her previous coach Eteri is infamous for.

As for Liza, I haven't heard much news from her (or maybe I'm not following her close enough) so I dare not judge whether she can bring back all her goods including the 3A for the upcoming season. IF she does however, she is a strong contender for at least #2 against Wagner and Asada. Then again, she didn't really deliver well on the PCS side last season but lets just reminisce about her strong performance during the 2014-2015 season shall we?

#4: Gracie gold/ any remaining girl in #3 that didn't manage to live up to expectations

This nutcase has been #4 for almost all major competitions she skated in :drama:, and either she bombs the free skate or she bombs the SP which is the reason why she can't go up the podium because podium placements require good placements in both FS and SP. I'm not surprised if she ends up #4 again at 2017 Worlds, because clearly time and again she proven her believers wrong. They should just create a new pewter medal for her because its always such a pity that she winds up being fourth after a redemptive free skate, or a very good SP.

She really has ALL THE GOODS, but she needs to stop crashing down after mistakes especially in the ever important FS. If she does suddenly becomes super consistent the next season she could be right next to Asada for #1.


Skaters I dare not give a rank to:

1. Anna Pogorilaya. She seem to be throwing dices whenever she goes out to skate. Her skates are just so highly unpredictable like the current ladies field. She crashes one moment in NHK, then redeems everything in Worlds.

2. Satoko Miyahara. Satoko is ridiculously underscored next to the current Russian ladies with her highly mature choreography and ballerina-like moves especially in terms of PCS. Plus her tiny jumps which judges dare not give more than +1 GOE, she can skate cleanly in both FS and SP and still only get #4 because again to land on the podium u need excellent placements in both SP and the FS to stand a chance. If judges really went with Satoko, she could be anywhere on the podium from #3 to even #1, but if they continue underscoring her especially in PCS, she can only hope that other skaters bomb their skates to even stand a chance. That being said, because she is wildly consistent, she still managed a good TES score during 2016 Worlds, but in her case the PCS doesn't seem to correlate with TES which is unusual.

2. New junior skaters because they have no historical results in the senior circuit for me to take reference from. However I don't expect them to land podiums in the current field unless they have wildly high consistency + tanos for all jump like what Evgenia does to raise TES levels enough to make up for initially lower PCS. The reason why Evgenia was able to dominate so quickly in her first season in Seniors was because her TES levels were so high and we know how correlated TES and PCS is in the ladies field.

3. Evgenia because she will fall out of the top 3 (puberty) and pull a Liza. Even Liza with her impeccable technique struggled with consistency, let alone Evgenia. Evgenia is like Liza during 2014-2015, except Evgenia actually has worser jump technique than Liza and only her tanos can save her.

TO CONCLUDE: Why am I even ranking Ladies in the first place? Getting everything right seem harder than striking lottery given her highly unpredictable the ladies field is. Maybe the next season Soyoun park will win everything including GPF , 4CC and Worlds because in the end everyone will get their predictions wrong anyway and it will come back and haunt them the very next season. :con3:
 
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Osmiumnitrate

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Wait, wait, wait. People seriously - SERIOUSLY - still think Sotnikova is coming back?!?! Incredible...

Exactly this! I don't understand the faith in Sotnikova just because she has wonderfully big jumps (useless if she falls) or she has some choreography (which by the way, I didn't think had any dramatic improvement after her stint in DWTS on the contrary to others). OR simply just because shes the 2014 Sochi Gold medallist. On top of that, she doesn't seem interested in amateur competitions anymore. To me, shes occupying a precious position on the national team that other more deserving skater like Sotskova or even Leonova would have gotten since shes more interested to go Pro anyway. She seem to be forced to remain amateur after her sochi win like how Yuna was forced to go for one more year of skating after her vancouver win, for the sake of national pride.

Anyway, I truly believe that Sotnikova will find it extremely hard to win competitions that is held outside of Russia. Her PCS will receive a huge deflation and she would be hardly anywhere near even #3 on the podium with her falling all over the place for her jumps.
 
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Guru1

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 8, 2014
Sotnikova is just gorgeous if she can land her jumps clean. She has an amazing speed and height when jumping, she has artistry, she has it all basically. The only question is how hard she's actually able (and wants to) train and how much consistency she can show. Evgenia and the other russian ladies surely won't make it easy for her, but if Adelina still is the same that won in Sochi, well...she's just te best of the russians (and maybe the world, lol) in my opinion.
 

annesigin

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
1) Tuktamysheva
Two years a cycle, maybe it's time for her to come back after a year of rest. She need a better choreographer and better costumes.
2) Medvedeva
She should be facing puberty now. And it is hard to get a more successful program than her last year's fs. I hope she won't get trouble with her choreographers.
3) Wagner
Charming.
4) Gold
She is always the fourth.
5) Wakaba
She need a better choreographer and better costumes too.
6) Radionova
Hasn't her puberty ended up yet? She has such a strong spirit.
7) Pogrilaya
8) Miyahara
9) Asada
10) Sotskova
11) Hongo
12) Lipnitskaya
 

sneakers

Match Penalty
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
3. Evgenia because she will fall out of the top 3 (puberty) and pull a Liza. Even Liza with her impeccable technique struggled with consistency, let alone Evgenia. Evgenia is like Liza during 2014-2015, except Evgenia actually has worser jump technique than Liza and only her tanos can save her.

here we go again with the presumption. :palmf:
 

largeman

choice beef
Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2014
I've become very superstitious and I won't partake in this fun ranking exercise, strictly out of fear I might jinx someone. However I seriously can't wait for some of these currently lowly-ranked ladies to knock the non-believers' socks off this season... :cool:
 

sneakers

Match Penalty
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Sotnikova is still coming back ? I thought she was just skating in ice shows, she's not assigned to any Grand Prix !!!
 

sneakers

Match Penalty
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
I've become very superstitious and I won't partake in this fun ranking exercise, strictly out of fear I might jinx someone. However I seriously can't wait for some of these currently lowly-ranked ladies to knock the non-believers' socks off this season... :cool:

last season, they predicted Liza would finally get her 3 axels in both SP and FS and look how that ended up, she had a slump season again. I also don't like jinxing skaters.
 

desertskates

Medalist
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
1. Evgenia Medvedeva
2. Satoko Miyahara
3. Ashley Wagner
4. Elena Radionova
5. Anna Pogorilaya
6. Gracie Gold
7. Mao Asada
8. Wakaba Higuchi
9. Rika Hongo
10. Maria Sotakova
11. Gaby Daleman
12. Angelina Kuchvalska
13. Polina Edmonds
14. So Youn Park
15. Li Zijun
I really wanted to add Yulia Lipnitskaia to my list because I looove her, but I just need to see what she's up to with programs and consistency for the upcoming year. Also in the mix are Liza Tuktamysheva, Alaine Chartrand, Kaetlyn Osmond, and Carolina Kostner. Polina dropped a little in my eyes. Maybe it was the withdrawal from Worlds or something like that. I just have an odd feeling that this may not be her year. Maybe it's the shift with starting college, or her reluctance to change coaches, we may see another US lady (Mirai, Karen) overtake her.

ETA- I also think the top three will be the podium in Pyeongchang. Super early and a little bold to type it out loud, but I think that's it. :whack:
 
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Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
This is fun!

1. Evgenia Medvedeva- Until proven otherwise, I think she is the one to beat. She's super consistent and her technique (minus her double axel) is really solid. A lot of people are talking about how is she has a growth spurt she could struggle but not every skater falls apart when they grow- look at Michelle Kwan, she grew a lot during her first few senior seasons and came through it fine thanks to good technique. I'm not worried about her, even if she does make a mistake she is so mentally strong I think she will continue to sit at #1.

2. Satoko Miyahara- One word, consistent. She is technically less gifted in the jumping department but in terms of presentation, skating skills, and spins she is fantastic. I think the judges will keep rewarding her consistency.

3/4. Ashley Wagner and Anna Pogorilaya- I would actually consider Ashely and Anna tied. While Ashley has really found her groove as a performer (even with her technical errors you still enjoy her programs), Anna is the stronger technically. However when Anna has a meltdown, she melts down spectacularly. Ashley has really proven she can keep improving. I think she is in as strong of a place as she can be heading towards the next Olympic cycle.

5. Gracie Gold- I struggled with where to place Gracie. She is so talented, the kind of natural talent you rarely see. But she can't put it together. If she doesn't have a strong season this year I am starting to doubt if she will even keep going towards Korea. Her heart doesn't seem to be in it.

6. Elena Radionova- I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Elena will have a strong season. She kept herself together during a huge growth spurt and now I see her on the other side. But please have better programs this year...

7. Mao Asada- She is my personal #1. When Mao is on she is untouchable. If she can get consistent and skate to her potential she will be a top contender.

8. Maria Sotskova- There has to be a new Russian phenom right?

9. Wakaba Higuchi- I'm going to guess we see a new Japanese star too.

Wild Cards- Polina Edmunds, Elizabet Tursynbaeva, Gabby Daleman, Yulia Lipnitskaia, Mirai Nagasu, Rika Hongo, Liza Tuktamysheva - Who are any of us kidding, this is figure skating. Anything can happen!
 

Guru1

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 8, 2014
@sneakers: Sotnikova is listed as a member of the russian team and has never said that she planned to retire. I think she's still in the game, it just wasn't at her best in test skates and so on last year due to her foot injury and so on. I hope this year she'll be back for real...
 

MaxSwagg

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
She is nowhere on the list.

Yes, some have listed her.

She HAD big beautiful jumps. She can barely under-rotated (as in its so under-rotated << it's difficult to even get it counted as <) even the simplest 3-3 as of late...
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
Anything can happen. All the analysis in the world had Mao and Liza at the top, in last year's comparable thread. So, wish list with hunches and a teensy bit of analysis and a good bit of consideration of what the skaters have shown us recently. This is fun! I'm glad I'm not superstitious of jinxing anybody, though. :)

1. Ashley Wagner. In performance, she's unbeatable. I have a feeling that we may see a trend in judging where the performance, the expression and the interpretation are going to be valued more. Ashley excels at all three. She has consistently improved her technique, and I think that's going to continue. It may take the whole season to be fully revealed, as it did last year; but I think we're going to see a steady journey to the goal: two programs without any UR calls. The fact that she put together two fabulous programs at the world championships is going to give her a big confidence boost. She and Rafael are a powerful team; it took a couple of years, but step by small step seems to be Raf's method, and it's working. Plus, charisma.

2. Evgenia Medvedeva. She skated at TCC with the aura of the world champion. That combines with her sureness and her unflappability in competition. This sounds like, and often is a recipe for being unbeatable. I actually have Evgenia and Ashley tied, but hey. Evgenia may step up her technique another notch with Rippon jumps, different combinations; if she does, it could be great, or it could add the slightest bit of instability. It's possible the judges will be a little more demanding with her this year and look at some of her elements more closely. Or not. I'm :popcorn: P.S. I think what Eteri told her just before the Worlds FS was brilliant.

3. Elena Radionova. I think getting (at least one?) program choreographed by Shae-Lynne (or did I dream that? I'm sure someone will let me know) ..anyway, I think it's a brilliant move on the part of her team. Shae-Lynne will know just how to channel all that emotion and create something dynamic with it. Elena never lost her adorableness and charm. I think she'll put herself together powerfully. I hope she'll also correct her posture and somewhat windmilly arms. Her engagement with audiences is a huge asset.

4. Anna Pogorilaya or Gracie Gold. I can't decide. Gracie may get a surge of motivation to show she can do what she needs to do. Talent and perfect technique aren't quite enough ... but the judges really like her, and if she had put two good programs together I think they would have made her world champion. The odds are about 50-50 that she'll do that this next season, or implode. And given what she showed last year, they may want to see more consistency from her before giving her that same chance this year. Anna doesn't skate with a whole lot more expression than Gracie does, but both are beautiful skaters. Anna has something Gracie doesn't, I feel ... I can only describe it as a sort of harnessed or smouldering emotion that does come through and makes a connection. If those scary falls are behind her, pow and wow.

6. Satoko Miyahara. I think the judges might be just as impressed by her fabulous consistency, but it may be tempered with a collective acknowledgement that tiny jumps and pre-rotations don't have the explosive power or beauty that big jumps like Gracie's do, or light, beautiful jumps like Ashley's do. But Satoko's consistency is formidable, and so are her subtle artistry, skating skills, and delicate style. If other skaters falter technically, she'll be right there to step up into their place, just as last year and the year before.

7. Julia Lipnitskaya. I know, I know, am I crazy? Of course, it will all depend if her jumps will be something she can depend and rely on. But she's an emotional skater, and I think the power of having a coach like Alexei who believes in her and encourages her may give her what she needs to take a huge step forward. And it will be huge, but I think her potential is ready. I personally hope that someone, maybe a choreographer, can get her to hold out her absolutely gorgeous positions for just a few seconds more. The beauty of her movement over the ice, combined with her vulnerability and heart on her sleeve, are quite a gift. Personally, I wish she'd relax, modify or scratch the I-spins, but that's too much to ask probably. Hey, here's an idea: who might bring scratch spins back? I miss them. I realize that they don't earn the points. Sigh.

ETA: 7.5. Adelina Sotnikova. Actually, I'd rather see Adelina skate than Anna, Elena or Evgenia. I wish she'd do more international competitions, because I'd love to see up and coming ladies skaters be inspired by Adelina's big, passionate skating. Her movement, her passion, her reaching out to include the audience in her performances, they're all way outstanding. I realize that she would have to get her jumps back and more consistent to even get out of Russian championships. This, to me, is one of the tragedies of the current system of scoring: that Adelina, who's developing her talent still, has to take a back seat to the technical scores of the jumping babies. She skates as a woman.

8. Gaby Daleman. Never underestimate the power of Brian Orser. He probably has a 5-year plan for her. I wouldn't be surprised to see her to take a step up. She brought it in a big way this last year.

9. Mao Asada. She's so valiant that I want to see her do well. If she could reduce the UR calls and bring her 3A consistently, the sky would be the limit. Two big ifs. But last year was maybe her Coming Back year, and this year could be the Actual Comeback.

10. Polina Edmunds. I want to put her higher. I think there's so much potential here. Something needs to be unleashed, somehow, to make the most of her gorgeous long limbs, her power, her mental toughness, her consistency.

Wild cards: Rika Hongo. Wakaba Higuchi. Li Zijun. Alaine Chartrand. Kaetlyn Osmond. Mirai Nagasu. Liza T. has to be considered a wild card and a threat, but her skating is so blank and without discernible connection to her music (if she has it, it seems laid on top) that I hope her 3A and big 3Lz won't propel her to be part of the conversation. Plus, I've already got four Russians in the mix!
 
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